What car seat does my child need?

There are laws in each Australian state and territory which regulate which car seat you need for your child from birth to 16 years.

Up to six months: Your baby must be restrained in an approved rearward-facing child restraint like an infant capsule or a convertible car seat specially designed for newborn babies.

From six months to four years old: Your child must be in either a rearward-facing or forward-facing child restraint, such as a child safety seat.

From four years old to seven years old: Your child must be in either a forward-facing child restraint or a booster seat restrained by a correctly adjusted and fastened seatbelt or child safety harness.

From seven years old to 16 years old: Your child must use a booster seat or a seatbelt properly adjusted and fastened (NRA et al 2013).

You can check with the road authority in your state or territory for more information.

When can my child be forward-facing in a seat?

It is the law that your baby must stay rearward-facing until she is six months old. However, many experts now recommend that it is safest for you to keep your baby rearward-facing as long as possible.

When can my child sit in the front seat?

The back seat of the car is the safest place for all children to sit. Until your child turns four, he must be in an appropriate car seat in the back seat of the car, if your car has two or more rows of seats.

Between the ages of four and seven years, your child must not sit in the front seat unless all the other seating positions in the car are taken by children under seven years old in suitable child restraints or booster seats (CCS 2014a, NRA et al).

What if my child doesn't fit in the seat that is required for his age?

The majority of children will fit in the seat that is legally appropriate for their age group, as described above. If your child is too tall or heavy to fit in the car seat that is designated for his age, he is able to sit in the next age category. Make sure that your baby, toddler or child is in a seat that is safely adjusted to give him the most protection (CCS 2014a, NRA et al).

Does my child need a car seat in a taxi or bus?

Legally, no. A bus of 12 seats or more is exempt from rules about child restraints. If a taxi does not have an appropriate restraint a taxi driver is exempt from ensuring that children under seven are properly restrained.

However, road safety experts recommend you bring your own suitable child restraint and fit it properly into the bus or taxi to ensure your child is kept as safe as possible if there is an accident (CCS 2014a, NRA et al).

How do I know if a car seat is approved?

To be an approved child restraint, a car seat or booster must be labelled with an Australian Standards sticker for the standard AS/NZS 1754. It is one of the most stringent child restraint standards in the world. All car restraints sold in Australia must comply with the standards that cover materials, design, construction, performance, testing and labelling.

Car seats bought overseas will not comply with the Australian standard and it is illegal to use them in Australia (CCS 2014a, NRA et al).

More information

Find out about the specific laws on child restraints in your state or territory by visiting your local roads and traffic authority website.

For the latest information about safety ratings for car restraints in Australia, check out Child Car Seats, a website devoted to improving safety for children travelling in vehicles. It includes more details on national guidelines and Australian standards for car seats, and you can check to see how the one you are considering buying rates against others in the market.

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